Product for treating bitumens



Patented Apr. 18, 1939 UNITED STATE PRODUCT non" TREATING BITUMENS Orvall Smiley, Springfield, n1.

No Drawing. Application October 23, 1936, Serial No. 107,299"

3 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a product of the kind indicated which is an improvement over the product for a similar purpose described in Patent No. 2,005,113 in that the present product is much cheaper to produce than the patented product; to provide a product for the purpose stated which will not damage the asphalt but will retain the original acidity of the same and act as a reducing agent inhibiting oxidation of the asphalt, thereby prolonging the use fulness and active life of the same; and to provide a bitumen treating product which will preserve the inherent advantageous properties of the asphalt and permit its more uniform spreading in the presence of other substances, such as water, dust and the like and a more uniform coating or coverage of all inert matter such as aggregate, clay, earth, hair, pulp wood, or pulp paper, or the like, wet or dry, under heretofore impossible conditions.

The metamorphotic agent or compound of the invention is produced by combining a fatty residue having an iodine value, a distillate of petroleum, any of the water soluble detergent hymolal salts of the sulphuric ester fatty alcohols, such as sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium octadecyl sulfate, sodium oleyl sulfate, and the like, and a mutual solvent for the salt and fatty constituent.

While any fatty acid will serve as the fatty constituent, such acid is excluded because of its high cost and the fatty residue may be such as stearin pitch, wool grease pitch, hard cotton seed pitch, elastic cotton seed pitch, vegetable oil pitch, bone pitch, wood tar pitch, residual distillate pitch, or the like.

If the detergent contituent be a hymolal salt, any one may serve alone, or in combination with any other.

The mutual solvent may be the monoethyl ether of ethylene glycol, the monobutyl ether of ethylene glycol, monoethyl ether of diethylene glycol, ethyl and isopropyl alcohol, or the like, or the product known to the trade as Tetralin which is beta-tetra-hydro-naphthalene.

In producing the metamorphotic agent or compound in a specified amount, there is added to twenty pounds of fatty residue three hundred pounds of the mutual solvent and twenty-five grams of the hymolal salt, these being incorporated into a mixture while heated. After cooling, the petroleum distillate, such as gasoline or the like, is added in the amount of fifteen pounds. The mutual solvent which is preferably betatetra-hydro-naphthalene acts, in the presence of the pitch composition to render the hymolal salt soluble.

The metamorphotic agent thus formed may, as in the case of the product disclosed in Patent No. 2,005,113, be stored and shipped for use at any 5 given place or plant and, as in the case of the patented product, is simply poured into the bitumen, the latter being first warmed to the pour point and the two being then mixed and agitated.

The proportions of the compound or metamorphotic product and bitumen will depend on the particular bitumen employed. For example, if the bitumen be that known to the trade as Texaco No. 115, its specifications determine the amount of metamorphotic compound to be employed. Such a bitumen, at 77 F., has a specific gravity of 1.00, penetration in 5 seconds by 100 gram weight with a No. 2 needle of not less than 100 millimeters nor more than 120 millimeters, 0 flash point not less than 420 F., fire point not less than 520 F., solubility of 99.5% in carbon disulphide and the same in carbon tetrachloride and ductility (Dow method) not less than 50 centimeters. With one thousand pounds of Texaco No. 115, three hundred and fifty pounds of metamorphotic compound will be employed. The mixture is heated to just below the boiling point of the ingredients and agitated when the end product thus produced is ready for use and is sub- 0 stantially stable. By varying the proportions of the metamorphotic compound and bitumen used, varying degrees of metamorphosis are produced.

The solvent Tetralin as well as its equivalents mentioned above serves as a metamorphotic agent between the pitch and the hymolal salt to create a new metamorphotic agent which acts as a reducing agent and a means of prolonging the life of bitumen as well as a means to render easy the homogeneous mixing of inert substance with bitumens.

The product is applicable for treatment of bitumens in combination with other products that might be added, as for example, water, to produce a stable colloidal dispersion of bitumen in 46 water. In such a case, the asphalt and compound mixture is heated as above indicated and water is added to any desired percent so that the end mixture will be from twenty percent to ninety percent base asphalt to meet given needs. The 50 average best percent is sixty percent base asphalt. The mixture is comrningled to a homogeneous mass by any suitable mixing means, then cooled quickly and stored. It has the characteristics of a colloid and when used makes for the more even or uniform spreading of asphalt in the presence of water or other substances.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

l. A product for application to bitumens to effeet the retention of the original acidity thereof and act as a reducing agent inhibiting oxidation of the same comprising a fatty residual pitch in the amount of pounds, a water soluble detergent hymolal salt of the sulphuric ester fatty alcohols in the amount of grams, and a mutual solvent for the salt and pitch in the amount of 300 pounds.

2. A product for application to bitumens to effect the retention of the original acidity there'- of and act as a reducing agent inhibiting oxidation of the same comprising a fatty residual pitch in the amount of 20 pounds, a water soluble-detergent hymolal salt of the sulphuric ester fatty alcohols in the amount of 25 grams, a mutual solvent for the salt and pitch in the amount of 300 pounds, and a petroleum distillate in the amount of 15 pounds.

3. A product for producing a stable colloidal dispersion of bitumen and water comprising a fatty residual pitch in the amount of 20 pounds, a hymolal salt of the sulphuric ester straight chain fatty alcohols in the amount of 25 grams, beta-tetra-hydro-naphthalene in the amount of .300 pounds, a petroleum distillate in the amount of 15 pounds, and water in such an amount that when the product is mixed with bitumens the end mixture will range from 20% to base asphalt.

ORVALL SMILEY. 

